


I Will Be the Light To Guide You On This Path

by The_Optimist



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: (I lied it is actually quite dark i'm sorry), Angst, Crying, Emotional Abuse (past), Emotional manipulation (past), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Recovery, Reverse Cipher, Reverse Falls, Reverse Pines, Slow Burn, Teleportation, not actually that dark?, reverse au, the forest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 13:42:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7441423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Optimist/pseuds/The_Optimist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will has just found himself in an unexpected but shockingly familiar place: the Mystery Shack. But this world is not how he knows it, and the people here are very different to how he remembers them. Will he try to return home or is this new place where he's meant to be?</p><p>Reverse!Bill meets the canon gang pretty much.</p><p> </p><p>On indefinet hiatus atm, might be a while before I can finish this. Sorry everyone!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hello There Old Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Some mentions to emotional manipulation/abuse here, but not too bad. If you wanna skip it, it's the conversation with Dipper, with a summary of the conversation at the end.

_Dipper_

 

Dipper sat in the only patch of sunlight in the clearing, dust particles floating past and swirling through the air. A cool breeze blew through the trees, keeping the hot day manageable for the young Pines. His back rested against warm stone, his head pressed back so he could watch the leaves rustle in the wind above him. Everything was as it should be, but for the first time in years, something felt off here. Well, more off than the statue of Bill normally made him feel.

  
It had been almost ten years since Weirdmaggedon, and it had taken almost all of that time for Dipper to recover mentally. Mabel had been a great help, and he had been there for her in return, before they started at high school, and later at university were they had gone their separate ways, Mabel to art school and Dipper to study science like his Grunkle Ford before him. He'd just graduated at the beginning of the summer, and had decided to return to Gravity Falls for the time being, as he had done every summer since that first time.

  
But this time, there was definitely something wrong. He came to visit the statue at the beginning of each trip to make sure everything was as it should be, when he felt it. Deep in his heart, a fearful chill had crept through him, and he had almost fled the clearing where Bill's statue sat from the pure adrenaline and _runrunrunnotsafego_  pumping through him. It calmed slowly after each visit though, leaving him able to stay for longer each time, until he made it here, second week into his stay and sat back to back with the statue, both thrumming with energy. He waited for as long as possible, the afternoon air growing tense with heat and waiting, Dipper standing to leave before the sun set, when it finally snapped.

  
It felt like the air was sucked from his lungs, and Dipper stumbled, before whipping round to see a blue light glowing brightly in front of the statue. Grabbing the journal Dipper had brought with him, he watched in caution as the blue light grew wider, become a blue sphere of energy and light, which produced a faint humming noise. Dipper watched in awe as it reached its full size, before bursting with a pop and dropping a human to the ground. The clearing went back to normal, the chirping of birds became audible again and the sun continued to shine through it's descent across the sky. Bill's statue was as still as ever, and the only evidence anything had happened at all was the naked man lying in the dirt barely ten feet from Dipper.

  
Edging forward, Dipper pulled off his backpack, grateful for bringing an extra jumper in case it got cold, and also for the fact the man appeared shorter than him. His skin was a dark bronze, shinning darkly in the light cast onto it, and his hair a shocking blue, ruffled and long. He had curled onto him self in the dirt, and Dipper quickly kneeled next to him. Shaking the man's shoulder carefully, he waited for him to rouse, but after a few minutes of waiting it seemed fruitless. He gently lifted the man by his shoulders, and when he was raised enough he pulled the jumper over his head, struggling with his arms, and finally after almost five minutes managed to get him properly into the jumper, which dwarfed his torso, falling to the middle of his thighs, long enough for everything to be adequately covered.

  
With a huff, Dipper got to his feet, before crouching once again to scoop the man off the ground. He was light, lighter than Dipper, and Dipper was concerned at how the jumper dipped over the man's stomach. Deciding he could deal with it back at the shack, he began the short trek back home, hopping Grunkle Ford would know what to do.

 

~~~

 

_Will_

 

Will woke half dazed, surrounded in something soft and warm. It woke him with a shock the feeling of comfort, as it had been a long time since he had felt safe sleeping somewhere so comfortable, and certainly not without being aware of his surroundings. He opened his eyes to find a wooden roof, with beams running over head and light pouring in from what he assumed was a window behind his head. Noticing he was alone, he slowly sat up, his head aching and the room spinning as he did so, but he persevered, even if it brought tears to his eyes. _Always crying, aren't we Will?_ he shuddered at the familiar voice, and quickly wiped at his eyes. He noticed that he had human hands, and wondered when his form had changed, and where the memories leading up to getting here went. Deciding that investigating the room he was in was the best first step, Bill swung his legs over the side of what he realised was a bed, and he shakily stood. It was small, but bigger than anywhere he had stayed in such a long time that it felt like luxury. There was another bed across from his, with papers and graphs and many strange looking designs that grabbed his attention, but decided it was probably very bad to touch. He found the window again, and saw the view of a familiar forest, and he wandered closer, setting himself down in the window bay. He could see a totem pole from this angle, and suddenly realised where he was. "Oh shit." He whispered, quickly standing on wobbly legs, and turning to the door, racing forward just as it opened, halting him half way across the room.

  
A boy taller than Will was and strikingly familiar smiled warmly at him as he stepped into the room. He must have noticed the panic in Will's eyes, as he raised his hands in a non-threatening manner. "Hey there. I'm not here to hurt you, just making sure you're doing okay." The boy spoke, and Will felt tears spring to his eyes again because everything was just so wrong.

  
"Dipper?" He asked, his voice hoarse and cracking. "Please stop this, you're scaring me." His lip quivered, and Dipper's eyes widened slightly. He stepped forward, but at Will's quick step back he stopped again, hands still up.

  
"I-... How do you know my name?" Dipper asked slowly, and Will began to shake. How did Dipper not know who he was? He had used his human form around him before, or was he really so easily forgotten? "Hey, it's alright, calm down, you're safe here, it's fine." Dipper leaned forward slightly before rocking back, like it was a struggle not to move towards Will, though Will wasn't sure if that was a good or bad sign.

  
Will shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Do you not...? The deal... I thought you still needed me? Please, please I'm still useful!" Will was pleading, and Dipper began to move forward slowly. "Mabel might still need me! Hav- have you asked Mabel if she still needs me?" Will was over come with the fear that he might not be needed anymore, even more so than he feared Dipper and Mabel. They may be cruel to him, but they were the only stable thing he had ever known. He realised Dipper was almost right in front of him, and tensed slightly, but knew not to back away. Suddenly arms were wrapped gently around his shoulders, pulling him into Dipper's chest and warming him.

  
"Ssh, ssh, it's alright, it's alright. I need you, okay? I'll need you for a long time coming okay, that's not going to change. Just relax now, I'll keep you safe." Dipper spoke lowly and comfort flowed through Will once more, followed by confusion.  
"Y-you're not really Dipper, are you?" He asked quietly into fake-Dipper's shoulder as he slowly wrapped his own arms around fake-Dipper's back.

  
"My name is Dipper, but I don't think I'm the same Dipper you're looking for. Do you know how you got here?" He asked rubbing circles into Will's back. Will closed his eyes, breathing in deeply and began thinking back. He remembered the anguish and defeat, that must have come from Bill, which was quickly silenced into the low rumble in his subconscious he could still hear now. He remembered his power decreasing to almost half of it's original level, and the fear of being unable to complete Mabel and Dipper's tasks properly. The growing fear and anxiety, and his desperate connection to his brother in an attempt to pull back his powers (which slowly began to increase again but not enough to be noticeable) had given a strong connection to the last plane Bill had visited, and with a burst of power, one day he had just... poof. He opened his eyes again, and nodded into other-Dipper's shoulder. "That's good. All I know is that you showed up in the woods by the Shack yesterday afternoon. You've been asleep since then." Will took a few more deep breaths, before pulling back, and putting out his hand.

  
"I'll Will," he said, and other-Dipper smiled before shaking his hand.

  
"And I'm Dipper, though you already knew that. I'll introduce you to my Grunkles if you want? But first I think you need some new clothes." Dipper let go of his hand to grab a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt as well as a new hoodie. Will pulled off the hoodie he was currently in, leaving him only in his underwear, and pulled on the clothes other-Dipper left him before quickly joining him outside the door to the attic room. "You ready?" Dipper asked, and when he was answered with a nod, he smiled, taking Will's hand. "Let's go then!"


	2. I Fear You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will spends some time with Dipper, but even simple interactions are causing his anxiety to skyrocket. Dipper may have good intentions, but all Will has are bad memories...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more references to emotional manipulation. There will be quite a few of those throughout tbh. Somehow this fic became something that focuses on emotional abuse but idk let's see where it goes. This chapter is mostly background building for Will, but don't you worry, we'll get to Dipper's background eventually!

_Will  
_

Dipper pulled Will along quickly, somehow managing to not trip either of them going down the stairs. He tugged gently on Will's hand guiding him into the TV room, and through to the gift shop where Stan was finishing up one of his first tours of the day. "Hey kid. Good to see you're finally up." He said glancing over at Will, who looked kind of terrified again. Dipper just squeezed his hand, waved at Soos who was wandering around the shop and gestured for his Uncle to follow him outside.

  
"Grunkle Stan, this is Will. Will, meet my Great Uncle Stan." Will gave a shy smile and Stan just gave a huff and a nod. "Do you need any help today 'cause I was just going to take Will into town..." Dipper trailed off, watching Stan expectantly, who rolled his eyes and nodded.

  
"You're fine if you're back for this afternoon. And don't get sidetracked!" Stan frowned, and Dipper smiled in return.

  
"You have my word. See ya later Grunkle Stan!" And as quickly as the conversation had begun, Will was being pulled off again, down off the porch and off on the path towards the town of Gravity Falls.

 

"Don't mind Stan, he seems pretty grumpy most of the time but he's actually kinda chill." Dipper said, smiling at Will who was blushing slightly. "What's up?" Dipper questioned, curiously examining the faint red dusting across Will's cheeks and nose.

  
Will huffed out a nervous laugh. "We're still holding hands," he stuttered out quickly, this time causing Dipper to blush and let go quickly.

  
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to- shit I- umm, anyway, town is this way?" Dipper fumbled, and Will held back his laughter at his actions. The Dipper he knew would have never acted so carelessly, but the Dipper he knew would never have held his hand either. "This okay?" Dipper asked, breaking Will from his thoughts with a bump to the shoulder.

  
Will smiled, "uh, yeah, this is cool," and continued in his struggle to fight down his blush. Dipper had always said he blushed too easily, and Will decided that maybe comparing the two Dippers was just going to hurt him eventually.

  
They continued to walk in silence, shoulders bumping occasionally, the forest's ambience relaxing Will on their long walk. As they entered the small town, Dipper began pointing out the different sites, not that there were many, and when he had exhausted his work as a traditional tour guide he began pointing out places where he and Mabel had their supernatural encounters over the years they had spent here. Will, while still not completely trusting of this new Dipper, did grow more comfortable in his presence, and stopped shying away from his attempts, though pitiful, at conversation. Eventually they stopped at Greasy's Dinner, and Dipper greeted a woman named Lazy Susan easily as they slid into an unoccupied booth. "Lazy Susan makes the best pancakes. I can get you some if you want?" Dipper asked, and once again Will was shocked by his kindness.

  
"R-really it's no trouble, I'm fine, you don't have to get food for me-" Will tried to excuse himself, even though he was hungry, because he couldn't owe Dipper anything. He wouldn't allow him to have something he could so easily hold over him.

  
"Hey, Will, it's fine. It's just breakfast, and I don't mind paying." Dipper said with a smile, but Will was still wary. Dipper may seem like a good person, but he knew of his darker side, and he didn't need to deal with it again. "Look, you can pay me back, if that's what you want? Whilst you're here you can work at the Mystery Shack, earn some money and pay me back for breakfast. That sound okay?" Dipper gave a small smile, and Will huffed in defeat before nodding. He could do money. Money was an easy debt to pay.

  
"Sorry for the wait ya'll. What can I get you boys today?" Lazy Susan said with a grin, notepad open and pencil poised.

  
"It's no problem Lazy Susan, and two orders of pancakes please," and at Lazy Susan's nod he added a "thank you!" Lazy Susan smiled, waving the two of them goodbye before rushing off to deal with another customer. "So, uh, Will? You knew who I was earlier, and I was wondering if you could tell me about whatever alternate universe you're from? Or is it parallel universe?" Dipper gave an encouraging smile, but Will blanched. At Dipper's concerned look, Will grew even paler, and fisted his hands firmly in the fabric of his jeans.

"I-I'm really sorry Dipper, I can't- sorry I just-" Will shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to calm his breathing. "Sorry, I can tell you I just need a minute-" he huffed out, breathing becoming shorter as he tried to find a way best to put this without breaking down again.

"Hey," Dipper said, causing Will to glance up in surprise and spot his companion's hand resting on the table, "you don't have to tell me anything if it's freaking you out like this. Obviously it wasn't a very nice place." Dipper smiled again, and really, Will was impressed by it, he could count the number of times he had seen his Dipper smile genuinely on one hand, and never once at Will. "I'm guessing this means your stay here is going to be a bit more than temporary now, huh?" Will let out a shaky breath, before frowning.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. I-I've already been away for so long. If I don't get back soon I'm going to be in so much trouble when they find me..." Will trailed off, hands still tightly twisted in his jeans. "You've been very kind Dipper, and I'm so sorry I've been such a nuisance, but maybe you wouldn't mind helping me get back to my plane?" Will finally managed to meet Dipper's eyes, and was startled to find something sorrowful lurking there. Before he could apologise, Dipper had jumped back in again.

"Honestly Will, it's been no trouble having you here, and there's no reason I'd want to send you packing," which, to be honest, Will thought sounded fake, but okay, "but are you sure this is what you want? To go back to wherever made you so... scared?" Will sighed.

"I-... I don't know." He whispered, head dropping again, and finally pulling a deep breath into his lungs again, only to feel the breath out hitch with the beginning of a sob. "Damn." He hissed under his breath, quickly wiping his eyes with his (Dipper's) jumper sleeve and trying desperately not to cry in public. Before anything more could be said, Lazy Susan returned with two plates full of pancakes, placing them down with a cheery 'there you go boys!' before rushing off again. Will gave a watery chuckle before looking back up at Dipper. "T-thanks for breakfast Dipper." Dipper sent him a small smile.

"It's no problem Will. No problem at all."


	3. Scared of the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's beginning to get late, and Will is rediscovering his fear of the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some flash blacks in this one, mentions of torture and experimentation (thanks to Alexia for the suggestion!) and some kinda body horror themes, as well as this causing fears of the dark and what it holds. Not really any comfort, unless it is subconscious. The paragraph in italics is Will's nightmare, so skip it if you're not fond of that sort of thing.

_Dipper_

 

After leaving the dinner, Dipper took Will to the mall to get him some clothes. While he didn't mind the boy wearing his clothes (he had to admit, Will looked adorable half swallowed up in a too-big jumper), he wasn't sure if Will was comfortable wearing someone else's clothes, if his reaction to breakfast was anything to go by, never mind Dipper's clothes, which would probably be totally gross if Mabel hadn't insisted down the phone that he 'wash that jumper I swear or I will disown you!'. Dipper let out a sigh at the memory, and then another much louder one as they entered the clothing store. He felt Will's gaze on his back, most likely in a questioning manner, but ignored it as they weaved their way through the racks of clothes to the men's section.

He quickly instructed Will to pick out anything in his size that he found suitable to wear, but found himself a few minutes later helping Will pick out clothes which quickly grew tiring. It wasn't anything to do with Will, it was just that clothes shopping was one of the worst experiences of Dipper's life, especially after having had Mabel drag him around countless stores more times than he could count. At least with Will it was bearable, as they were both frustrated and way too willing to leave as quickly as possible. In the end, after only three stores (Will definitely needed shoes that weren't Dipper's) and forty minutes, they had managed to escape the mall and were headed back to the Mystery Shack.

The mid-day heat beat down on the two boys as they ventured slowly back home, Dipper and Will both carrying bags to evenly distribute the weight. Dipper gave a small sigh, wishing he had thought to bring water with him, when he heard Will suck in a breath next to him. He glanced up quickly, and worry pooled in his stomach when he saw tears in Will's eyes. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Will gave him a pointed look, before glancing back into the forest. Dipper turned, scanning the tree line when he saw it, sat between the roots of a large pine tree. A large, brown with white spots, rabbit sat, sniffing around in the grass at the forest's edge. Will carefully placed down his bags so he could muffle his squeal with his hands, and Dipper almost burst out laughing. It wasn't very often he saw bunnies outside of the forest, and if Will lived here then they wouldn't be a very rare occurrence either, so he must react like this all the time, and that thought alone almost broke Dipper, who also had to put down his bags to clutch at his mouth, but for a different reason. They stood there for a few minutes, watching the rabbit, before it hopped off back into the woods, and Dipper finally began to laugh. Will, face blushed, also laughed, his happiness splashed in a sound stilling Dipper for a moment in awe.

After a few more minutes of laughter, and in Dipper's case awe at the pure joy Will gotten from seeing an animal, they grabbed the bags and began to move on again. The trek up to the Shack was much less tension filled, and the air was calm around them. They smiled at Stan, who was taking a tour into the Shack, who nodded in return. In an effort to avoid the tourists, they headed to the back door, entering quietly and heading up the stairs to Dipper's room to put away Will's new clothes. "You feel up to anything today? We have the rest of the afternoon, 'cause I'm not working today." Dipper asked, glancing over his shoulder at Will who sat on what used to be Mabel's bed.

"I-I don't mind. Whatever you're doing." Will replied quietly, shuffling slightly in agitation as if he didn't appreciate being given the choice of what to do. Dipper frowned, turning back around to grab his journal, one with a large four printed across the six fingered hand, from under his bed. He turned back, about to recommend cataloguing supernatural creatures in the forest (which was just an excuse to take Will to see more rabbits) when Will gasped again. "Is that...?" He trailed off, staring at the journal in Dipper's hands, eyes wide.

"Oh, umm," Dipper began, nervously clutching the book closer to him, "my Gruncle and I are writing it together, considering the old ones were destroyed. Have you seen this before, in your dimension?" Dipper asked carefully, realising a tad to late as Will looked away that bringing up Will's dimension probably wasn't the best idea.

Will quickly shook his head, turning back to Dipper. "Yeah, I've seen it before, but it's nothing. It's just... familiar." The haunted look in Will's eyes was scarring Dipper, so he decided to put the book away. Carefully sliding it back under his bed, he reached out his hand to Will to pull him to his feet.

"Wanna go explore the forest for a bit?" Dipper asked, a smile on his face once again. Will took a deep breath, as if preparing himself, before returning the smile shyly and accepting Dipper's outstretched hand, before they headed out of the house once again.

 

~  ~  ~

 

_Will_

 

When they got back, the sun had begun to set and Stan was stood on the porch waiting for them. He rolled his eyes when Dipper greeted him, but wrapped his arm around his shoulders in a half hug when he stopped on the porch, before letting go to head inside. "Where's Gruncle Ford?" Dipper asked, and Will almost tripped over himself at the naming, hoping against anything that he wasn't-

"Oh, he's downstairs, probably won't be up again for a few days, you know how you two get sometimes." Stan grumbled, leading them into the kitchen. "But enough of that, dinner's ready." Will clutched his own hands tightly, fear racing through him at the thought of Stanford Pines being _downstairs_ and would probably be here within the next day or two, sat at the same table-

"I'm going to the bathroom." Will rushed out, missing looks of concern from the other two in the room before he raced off to the bathroom. There, he sat on the floor and put his head between his legs, breathing shakily and too quickly as tears pooled once again in his eyes. _I'm such a mess, crying on the bathroom floor at just the mention of his name._ Will thought to himself, and with a new set of determination, he managed to pull himself to his feet again, shakily walking to the sink and washing his hands and face before just breathing. He stood there for a few more minutes before leaving again, walking slowly back to the kitchen where Dipper and Stan were sat at the table waiting for him. "Sorry, sorry..." He repeated as he rushed over, taking his seat still apologising for keeping them waiting. Stan just huffed but gave a small smile, and Dipper told him not to worry, before they began to eat. And even though Will felt bad about making them wait, it was nice they hadn't minded too much. It was very nice.

 

~  ~  ~

 

Will climbed into bed, huffing and smiling at the soft curl of his new pyjamas, and the comfortable mattress, easily bringing sleep to him. "Goodnight Will." Dipper whispered, and Will smile stretched lazily across his face.

"Goodnight Dipper." He returned, before slipping into a land of dreams.

However, the hazy edge of happiness couldn't last forever. A human body needed sleep, unlike that off a demon, so nightmares were a new experience for Will, but that just made them even more terrifying.

_Will struggled to sit up, harsh lights forcing his eyes closed even as he frantically struggled to see where he was. A familiar chuckle filled the room, and Will stilled in panic. "Good evening Will. Isn't this nice, just you and me? I'm so glad Dipper lent you out to me, you are just so interesting in this form..." Will almost cried out at the hand that send gripped his jaw tightly, and fought to open his eyes, only to find himself staring into familiar pair of be-speckled eyes. "Hello Will~" Stanford sang cheerily, his voice rising over Will's desperate screams, that were quickly muffled by his hand. "None of that now." Ford said, a strange glint to his eye. "We'll save that for later." A strangely wide smile spread over his face, before his hand return, scalpel in his steady grip. "Are you ready to begin? I have the book set up to record my findings. All I need now is for you to scream."_

_And scream Will did._

Will woke with a gasp, fingerings clutching at the fabric over his chest, heart beating erratically and his ears ringing. The room around him was dark, not even moonlight could be seen, and Will glanced around in fear. _What if he's still here? Oh God what if he's here, what if he's here..._ His thoughts moved quickly back and forth, and he placed his back against the wall in a desperate move for protection. _Out out out outoutoutout._

Will sprang from his bed, and raced to the only living body in the room, carefully climbing into the small bed behind him, and wrapping himself around Dipper. He breathed shakily into his shoulder, tears dampening his shirt, neck and back as Will cried quietly, breath uneven and far too fast. A small mumble came from the boy, and Dipper turned, wrapping his arms around Will in return, and Will let out a sigh of relief. He focused on his breathing, waiting for almost ten minutes before he was calm enough to think comprehensively again. It didn't take Will long to begin blushing, when he realised he had buried his face into Dipper's chest, tears and snot having made it damp and gross, but he didn't mind much. He wasn't sure Dipper would feel the same, but he was much less scared of how Dipper would react than trying to go back to bed. Deciding that he probably couldn't escape Dipper's hold, he shifted till he was comfortable, and slowly slipped back into sleep once more, confident somewhere in his mind that Dipper would protect him.

In their sleep, two boys smiled.


	4. The Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will spends the day trying to prepare himself to face Ford, but it seems he'll be facing his demons (no pun intended) much sooner than expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GASP.

_Will_

 

Will woke slowly, the light creeping in momentarily blinding him as he opened his eyes. His back was shockingly warm against the slight draft being blown in from the door that had just been opened, and Will only had a few seconds to wonder why before the door opened.  
Glancing up, Will spotted Dipper, now dressed for the day, and realised he was on the wrong side of the room. He saw his own bed across the way, and froze as he remembered the previous night. "Morning Will." Dipper greeted nonchalantly, as if he had no idea as to what was troubling Will.

  
"D-Dipper, I'm so s-sorry, it was dark, and cold and I-I was so scared I d-didn't mean to i-intrude I-" Will was shaking as his eyes filled with tears, cursing his own ability to cry so easily when it always got him in trouble, which always made him cry harder, and Dipper looked so shocked, and maybe he wasn't expecting Will to cry before he shouted at him? Before Will's thoughts could spiral any further, Dipper opened his arms, eyes wide, and carefully interrupted him.

  
"Hey, hey there Will, it's fine. It's totally chill. Everyone in this house suffers from nightmares, even me. Don't you worry about needing help, or having spent the night with me, 'cause I really don't mind. No harm done, right?" He gestured for Will to come closer, arms still open, and Will realised he was being invited into a hug. Will nodded distractedly, wiping his nose and eyes on the back of his sleeve, before slowly creeping towards Dipper, as if expecting him to laugh in his face and back away any second. "Come on, it's alright." Dipper smiled, and Will sighed in return, before collapsing into Dipper's arms, tears still drying on his face being rubbed into Dipper's shoulder. "Better?" Dipper asked quietly a few minutes later, and Will nodded before pulling away.

  
"Thanks Dipper," he whispered, face red and rubbing his neck bashfully.  
After Dipper left to let Will get dressed, Will sat down heavily, and sighed. He couldn't understand this genuine kindness from someone so gentle, who looked exactly like someone he knew could be so much crueler. He couldn't help but feel that it wouldn't be long before the other shoe dropped, and then he would be doomed for showing so much emotion and basically complaining through his actions about his Dipper. Oh, when he got home, his Dipper was going to kill him. Will shuddered at the thought.

  
When he finally arrived downstairs a few minutes later, Dipper was plating up breakfast, and Stan was sat with his paper at the table, grunting every so often at something he read. Dipper gave him a small smile as he sat down, before placing a plate in front of him and Stan. "Breakfast is served!" Dipper said with a grin, and Stan groaned, but smiled slightly in return.

  
"Better not have burnt it this time kid." He warned, and Dipper smirked.  
"Grunkle Stan, last time I burnt breakfast I was nineteen and hungover, give me a break." Stan huffed a laugh at the memory, and Will frowned ever so slightly. He didn't like hungover Dipper almost as much as he didn't like drunk Dipper.

  
"Anyway, we're working the shop today Will." Dipper said cheerily, ignorant to Will's sour mood. "Hopefully Grunkle Ford will be up in time for dinner tonight." Stan sighed.

  
"You know how your Grunkle is though Dipper, don't get your hopes up." That was something all three could agree on, though the prospect of not seeing Ford was something Will was hoping for as much as Dipper was hoping against.

 

~ ~ ~

 

The day was slow going, the heat seeming to send everyone to the local pool rather than the Mystery Shack, but Will didn't mind much. He spoke with Dipper, who admitted he preferred company during his time working the till, but hadn't really enjoyed time with anyone else but Mabel, Wendy and Seus, who he hadn't worked with in a few years now.

  
Will couldn't help the blush at the thought of being enjoyable company, never mind that it was Dipper he was cheering up, simply with his presence and slight chatter. If someone told him this was how he would be spending his day last week, he probably would have burst into tears at the thought of something so... easy. So nice and simple and wonderfully _easy_.

  
He knew it couldn't last.

  
Barely five minutes before their lunch break was supposed to start, the vending machine in the corner swung open, and Will froze in place. Standing in the secret entrance to his secret lab was one Stanford Pines, explorer and scientist extraordinaire, stood in his dishevelled glory at the top of the staircase. "Uh, morning Dipper?" He questioned, and Will felt the blood drain from his face. He gripped the counter so hard his knuckles went white, and he could hardly stand from how weak his knees were. "Who's your friend, and why does he look like he's about to pass out?" Will barely noticed as Dipper's head whipped round to face him, as he was too busy staring at Ford, fear making his eyes wide and breath short.

  
"Will?" Came a faint question from somewhere, but it was over powered by the roaring of his heart beat in his ears. Suddenly, Ford took a step forward, and Will stepped back as fast as he could. It seemed the suddenly adrenaline kick started his dormant powers, and Will went tumbling through the wall and found himself on the ground outside. Deciding to use this to his advantage, Will scrambled to his feet and began to run as fast as he could away from the shack, tears ripping themselves from his eyes and breath catching in his throat as his name was called.

  
Never. Never again.


	5. Run Boy Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper finds Will in the forest. They might not get to ask about his magic just yet, but they do make some other discoveries about the world Will is from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A mention of body horror and threats near the end. It's in italics. Also, mention of forced or dub-con relationship? I guess? That's right at the end. It's not explicit, and sex isn't mentioned, it's kind of open ended, but it's implied to be a form of protection. Not healthy anyway.

_Dipper_

 

He turned quickly, eyes focusing on a pale looking, fear stricken Will who gripped the counter like his life depended on it. He missed Ford's worried expression as he moved forward, with a slow, "Will?" as he approached his friend. Will didn't even glance in his direction, eyes glued to Ford stood in the corner. Dipper was concerned to note that Will's breath had become shorter, and he moved faster towards the boy. Ford seemed to have the same idea, however the second he took even a single step in Will's direction, he had backed up quickly, almost tripping over his own feet. Dipper darted forward to attempt to stop him from hitting his head off the wall, but stopped in shock as Will went straight through it.

  
Dipper spared a glance at Ford, before the two of them raced outside, desperate. To find Will before he went into the forest and got hurt. "WILL!" Dipper shouted, running after the fading blue hair that disappeared between the trees. "WILL!" He screamed, about to run after him when a hand grabbed his arm. "Gruncle Ford I need to get him back before he gets hurt!" Dipper pleaded, tugging to get away from his great uncle. Ford shook his head, sighing before turning Dipper to face him.

  
"Dipper," he began, "Dipper, look at me." He paused, and Dipper finally turned to face Ford. "Your friend - Will - will be fine. By the looks of things he has some sort of magic, and he likely knows how to use it. You however, are completely unprepared to go charging into the woods after him. We'll get kitted up, and well search properly. We'll leave your Gruncle Stan behind incase he comes home, and we'll be careful and logical, you hear?" Dipper gave one short nod. "Good. Let's go get ready."

 

~ ~ ~

 

 

_Will_

 

Branches slashed at his face as he ran, cutting his face and arms until blood mixed with salted tears on his cheeks. His breath heaved in his pitiful human body as he ran as far as he could from the man who haunted his nightmares for as long as he had known him. He stumbled on a tree root, and went down hard, grazing his hands and knocking the breath out of his lungs. He kneeled on the forest floor, lungs heaving as he tried to catch his breath and sob at the same time, before he pulled himself up and began moving again.

  
After a few minutes he spotted a low hanging tree branch and quickly pulled himself up, carefully to not get any blood on the tree bark. He climbed slowly to the next branch up, before glancing around to find the next closest tree that he could make his way to. Ford had scary talents with tracking beasts, he couldn't doubt that they would be used on him too, especially without being able to float and bleeding all over the place. Will sniff and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

  
After almost half an hour from moving between the trees, Will finally settled on some higher branches in the middle of the forest. His tears had stopped a few minutes ago, and his breath slowly evened out as he sat there watching the animals go by. He wasn't sure when he would be ready to go back, possibly never, but he knew it was necessary. There was never an escape.

  
Eventually, he heard the distant calls of Dipper, and he sighed, climbing down from his perch and making his way towards the calls. He dragged his feet, wiping at his face with his hands, hating the warm summer weather for stopping him from wearing long sleeves. "WILL!" Came an excited shout from ahead, and Will looked up to see Dipper come to a skidding stop before him. "Oh my, Will are you alright?" He questioned, eyes wide and chest heaving. Will gave a small nod. Dipper's face softened and he gave a small smile. The sunlight filtered through the trees above and reflected beautifully in Dipper's eyes. He seemed so _warm_ in this light. Dipper opened his arms, and gestured for Will. "Come here." He said quietly, but he somehow made it seem like it wasn't a command. Will didn't mind either way, and quietly stepped forward and was enveloped in Dipper's arms.

  
Will attempted to control his tears as the situation finally hit home. "I'm s-so sorry, so s-so sorry, Dipper, I d-didn't mean to I-I jus-" Will was cut off by Dipper shushing him softly, whispering forgiveness into his hair as he rubbed Will's back in easy circles. "T-thank you," Will said eventually, and Dipper pulled away.

  
"No need. I care about you, and that means helping you out when you're distressed. You good to come back home with me?" Will gave a small nod, and on their walk back, hand in hand, Will wondered when the shack had become his home.

 

~ ~ ~

 

 When they started up the steps on the porch, Will's clutch on Dipper's hand grew tighter. He watched fearfully as Dipper opened the door, revealing Stan sat in his usual spot by the TV. "Hey Gruncle Stan. I found Will." Stan looked up, gave an eye roll and a small, brief, smile, before grunting his greeting and going back to his program. Dipper shrugged at Will, before heading into the kitchen, Will still trailing along after him. "Sit here, I'll get you a drink." Dipper said softly, setting Will down at his usual place for breakfast, and headed to the fridge. 

After a few minutes of heavy silence at the table, Dipper looked up, brow furrowed and mouth open to ask a question, when the door suddenly swung open. Will froze as Ford came in, and then paused as he glanced into the kitchen. "Hi, everybody, I'll, umm, head downstairs?" He questioned, looking very uncertain as how to act in this situation. Dipper looked about ready to agree, but Will knew that would make things worse the next time Ford needed him.

"I-It's alright. You c-can stay." Will said quietly. He felt the surprised looks being directed at him, even though his gaze was firmly fixed on Dipper's clasped hands on the table. "If y-you want that i-is." He added quickly, and Ford nodded. He walked over slowly, sitting next to Dipper at the table, keeping his hands on the table like Dipper did, and moved slowly. Will appreciated it, even if the sense of comfort was, well... uncomfortable.

"My name's Ford by the way." Will glanced up quickly, calculating what the look in the scientist's eyes meant before looking down again.

"Will." He responded, giving a half shrug to hide the shivers running down his spine at being inspected by Ford.

Dipper coughed awkwardly, and Ford shrugged in return. "I'm a scientist. I don't often run experiments though, I prefer to catalogue the mysterious happenings in Gravity Falls. Dipper helps out too." Ford explained, seemingly struggling to find common ground. Will's shoulder tensed up at the word 'experiment'. 

"I know. I've read the books." Will told him quietly, and everyone in the room stopped. Will glanced around, confused as to why he was suddenly the center of attention. "What?" he asked, quieter than before.

"My books were destroyed years ago. Dipper does all the writing now, and we have most of it in files at the moment." Ford told him slowly, and Will froze, realising how valuable he had just become if Ford's books had been destroyed in this universe.

Will stood suddenly, seemingly jerking everyone out of the stunned reprieve they had been stuck in. "I need to go," he managed to get out before running up the stairs, and only barely managing to stop himself from slamming his and Dipper's bedroom door in his haste to get away. He sat on the edge of his bed, breathing slowly and attempting to not cry again. _Fucking cry baby. Get it together. You know how I hate it when Ford brings you back all teary eyed. You need to grow a backbone before he makes you a new one._

Will shuddered, small breathless sobs escaping him as tears built in his eyes. _Not again, I can't go back down their again._ He had promised himself long ago that he would do whatever Dipper needed if it meant he could avoid Stanford Pines' bloody lab of horrors. And if that meant he would have to seduce this Dipper too, he would. He would do _anything_.

 


	6. The Deciver Decieved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both of the boys have plans, but little do they know how they contradict each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in ages! School started back and I am bogged down with loads of shit, so it will be patchy for a while longer, sadly. Looking on replying to comments I missed soon, so look out for that! Anyway, there's not much dodgyness in this chapter, some references to manipulation but it's not totally malicious I guess. Have fun!

_Dipper_

 

Dipper was confused. Well, confused was putting it lightly. He sat shocked in his seat for a few moments after Will left, before standing to head after him. A hand on his arm stopped him, and he turned to find Ford shaking his head at him. "He'll want to be alone just now. You can go up later with dinner." He spoke quietly, voice barely carrying to Dipper's ears and escaping Stan'd attention across the room. He was scowling at the tv.

  
"But he looks so scared Grunkle Ford. What am I supposed to do?" Dipper asked, returning to his seat and twisting his hands together uneasily.

  
Ford sighed, "I've seen it before, even in myself. Will has likely seen or even lived through some tough shit. I think he may have undiagnosed PTSD, and for now there isn't much we can do to help. Especially if he finds himself wanting to leave." Ford took his time explaining, watching Dipper's face as it scrunched up in concern and slight horror. He shook his head once, before meeting his Grunkle's eyes once again.

  
"What do I need to do?"

 

~ ~ ~

 

_Will_

 

When he finally calmed, Will set about making his plan. First of all, he knew he would have to appear to slowly, but not too slowly recover. Less jumping in Ford's presence, more open smiles and laughter, and a seeming want to be involved whenever needed. It was going to take a lot of effort, but it would be worth it once he had convinced Dipper he was fine. Then all that was left was to charm his socks off, and let the protection given to him by the youngest Pine keep him from Ford's lab as long as possible.

  
Will sighed. He didn't like deceiving Dipper this way, didn't like using his affections (so easily given) to protect him from harm, but he knew he had no other choice, not until he could return to his own plane anyway. There he knew where he stood.

  
Just as he had began work on the finer details of his plan, he heard footsteps on the stairs, and quickly folded up on himself, moving to press his back against the wall and wrap his duvet around him. "Will?" A quiet voice came from beyond the door, and he responded with a quiet noise of agreement. The door opened slowly, and Dipper entered with a tray in his arms, two plates and cutlery placed upon it. "I brought our dinner up here. Are you okay to eat or...?" Dipper continued to speak quietly, but the room no longer felt just quiet so empty.

  
"Thank you." Will said, sitting up, duvet still wrapped around him. He moved over to allow Dipper to sit next to him, who shared the tray's weight over both their laps. The carefully moved back until their backs where against the wall, legs stretched out over and off the side of the bed, and tray between them. They ate in silence, but Will was still comforted by Dipper's presence. "Thanks for earlier," Will began, after he had finished eating, "you know, in the forest." His hands shook slightly at the memory of what sent him there.

  
"It's no problem. I'm here to help you know." Dipper smiled at him, slowly reaching out to stop he shaking in Will's hands with his own. Will took note of a small pine tree tattooed onto his pinky, and giggled slightly. "What?" Dipper asked, slightly concerned.

  
"Pine tree." Will replied, and though Dipper flinched, a smile stretched across his face.

  
"Oh, yeah, 'cause I'm a Pine, so I got a pine tree," Dipper gave a small laugh, "and I used to be known as Pine Tree. I felt I should own that. It's a part of me now." He explained, and Will felt an ache in his gut for that sense of closure.

  
"That's nice. When did you get it?" He watched their entwined hands, occasionally glancing up at Dipper through his lashes.

  
"I got it last year with Mabel just before our Senior year started. She got a shooting star on her wrist." Will nodded, taking care to note Mabel's sign as well as the possible signs of the two Pines downstairs. "What about you?" Dipper asked, startling Will out of his thoughts.

  
"Oh, I, uh," Will's eyes widened slightly, knowing he couldn't reveal his tattoos, "no, no I don't. I haven't really thought about it. Yours is nice though." Will smiled, hoping to distract Dipper, but only semi-succeeding.

  
"Would you think about getting one? Maybe a small one like mine? Sorry, I don't mean to intrude, I just get overly curious." Dipper was easily flustered in this world it seemed.

  
"Maybe." Will replied, before yawning.

 

_~   ~   ~_

 

_Dipper_

 

"What time is it?" Will asked, hands moving in the grip between Dipper's but stilling soon after.

  
Dipper twisted their hands to glance at his watch. "Only ten thirty-two, but I am tired too. Bed then?" He asked, and Will nodded. "I'll go get changed in the bathroom, you can change here." Dipper quickly left, heading to the bathroom and taking his time to change into his freshly washed pyjamas that Mabel had gotten him two summers ago. When Dipper returned Will had already crawled into bed, and was cocooning himself against the wall. "Goodnight Will," Dipper said, laughing quietly.

  
"Goodnight Dipper," Will replied with a yawn, before rolling over onto his back and closing his eyes.

  
Dipper climbed into his own bed, watching Will's breath slow until it evened out, his chest rose and fell slowly in the moonlight. "I will protect you." He promised, and he even imagined that Will smiled slightly in his sleep. "Always."

  
Dipper didn't know it at the time, but promises are so, so easily broken.


End file.
